Superior

Rebecca's high school band returned last week from their first band competition. They received a superior rating which is the highest rating you can get. Not bad for their first competition. Tomorrow they compete in their second competition...Go Band! The following pictures were taken by a professional photographer who has a child in the band. These pictures of Rebecca were from some of the many practices the band held...on some very hot summer days! Here are some of my favorites.

Great T.V.

Have you been watching this fantastic documentary?

I look forward to the moment when all the kids are in bed and I get to watch another episode. What incredible stories!

Feast of the Guardian Angels

Prayer to One's Guardian Angel

Dear Angel, in his goodness God gave you to me to guide, protect and enlighten me, and to being me back to the right way when I go astray. Encourage me when I am disheartened, and instruct me when I err in my judgment. Help me to become more Christlike, and so some day to be accepted into the company of Angels and Saints in heaven. Amen.

Dating: The view of a 6th grade boy

Nick and I were in the car the other day, talking about many things when all of a sudden, Nick blurts out his view of dating:

Nick: Mom. I think the best time to date a girl is when you are in college.

Me: Really Nick?

Nick: Yeah.

Me: (Trying to test his theory) OK then Nick, what would you do if this really pretty freshman girl comes up to you while you are say, a sophmore, and has a nice smile, outfit, and personality. And your friend tells you that she really, really likes you and wants to go out with you. What would you do?

Nick: I'd just ask her what college she plan to go to.

GodTube

I would not show this video to any small children, but highly recommend it to older teens. I dare you to watch this without crying. I think we all can relate at some level.

Traveling with Mr. Bear

My son's first grade class has a program called, "Travel Bear". "Travel Bear" likes to visit different places and meet the people who live there. He usually travels with a child from class, but sometimes goes to an exotic place...oh, say, the country of Chile with only a parent. My son's teacher encourages families to send pictures or postcards of where "travel bear" goes, but Gus's dad always aims to please. Here is day one of "Travel Bear's" virtual travel journal to La Serena, Chile. Looks like he's a busy bear and enjoys a good brew too! Tomorrow he will travel up the Andes to help fix one of the telescopes there. I hope he has his flannel p.j.'s..it's cold in the mountains!

Ora pro nobis

Matt Maher, Catholic musician and songwriter...who is very popular with Catholic youth, sings this beautiful litany of the saints. Makes me long for the Easter Vigil. The final slide is a lovely picture of JPII in the arms of Mary.

The band is back!

After hours of practice, 2 summer band camps, uniform fitting, volunteer organization, band booster meetings,horn polishing, marching formations....the band is back! And Rebecca could not be happier!

Sleepy Bunny

Gus came home the other day upset because a boy at school told him there was no Easter Bunny.

Gus: Jake said there was no such thing as the Easter bunny. He told me that parents secretly put the baskets out in the middle of the night when kids are asleep.

Chris: Well Gus, what do you think. Do you believe what Jake said?

Gus: No! I told him there had to be an Easter bunny 'cause my parents are way too tired to do that.

I am yours.

One of the best contemporary christian bands today is CASTING CROWNS. You'll be moved by this awesome video made by a youth group in 2006 using one of their most popular songs. I believe they only used white gloves and a blue light. Be inspired!

A note for those of you who have kids in religious education programs:

Here is an edited article I wrote for our youth ministry newsletter:


As a mom to 5 kids and being involved in youth ministry for over 10 years, I suspect you all may be able to relate to the fact that it can be a challenge getting kids to church and to faith development. Sports, school work, home life and family obligations too often guide us away from what we need most: a relationship with Jesus Christ. All too often Jesus lands dead last in our list of priorities when he should be the first on our list.

Our youth group, and its fantastic group of catechists and volunteers strive each week to make the Catholic faith come alive for your young person. Countless hours of planning and organization go into making learning about Jesus interesting, relevant and positive. It's a tall order for any youth program, but we are up to the challenge and believe, with God's help, we will succeed in creating a welcoming environment where the seeds of faith can grow and mature into a life-long love affair with Christ and His church.

But we cannot achieve such high ideals alone. Over 170 youth in the youth program only meet for a total of about 20-30 hours A YEAR! That adds up to about one day out of 365 days in a year. That is a small amount of time to impart the christian values that we hold dear. Parents must engage in their own faith life in order to change the life of their children. Young adolescents respond to the message that their faith offers an alternative to the world. But this realization requires that parents embrace this difference. Explaining to youth that life as a Catholic is different is not enough. Parents must show how to live this difference.

So the bottom line is that we must CARVE out time in our busy day with our kids to improve our relationship with Jesus and to impart the teachings of our church to our kids. How can we do that? Here's a little exercise for you....

My favorite Catholic author, Danielle Bean, in her latest book, Mom to Mom, day to day, challenges parents to make a list of everything they do in a day...from breaking up sibling fights, to driving to school events, chatting with school parent friends, and cleaning up nasty bedrooms. It's not that hard. Write it all down, and be painfully honest. She asks parents to take a careful look at the choices we make on a daily basis. Is it that we don't have time to teach our children some basic Catholic prayers? Or to go to Mass or Reconciliation? Or is it that we simply choose to do something else like watching T.V., surfing the net, or talking on the phone.? These things alone are not bad things, but somehow they come first over talking about God with our children.

I encourage everyone to "Take 10 minutes" a few times a week to go over some basic Catholic teachings with your kids. Use the Catechism of the Catholic Church, The Catholic Source book or The Catholic Youth Bible as your textbook, as well as many other books available online or at your local bookstore. Get started now and make the commitment to raise your child with faith, hope, and love.

Seriously now...

the girl just might need her own binky. Sheesh!

Alpha and Omega

There are moments in your life where time seems to stand still. The beauty of life overwhelmingly strikes at your soul and you are left standing looking at your future and your past at the same time. And you are left staring in awe at the picture that surrounds you.

Last Sunday, after Mass, I was visiting with a friend I had known for many years. Jack, Gus and Nick ran to the side of the church to engage in their usual post-mass tag game and Rebecca took baby Henry out into the sunshine to play. As I continued my conversation with my friend, I glanced outside the church window to see a beautiful picture: my oldest conversing with my youngest. It was touching and tender; it was painful and poinant in a weird way. I stopped talking mid-sentence and just stared. I know my friend must have thought that I had either lost my mind or was inexcusibly rude, but I mumbled something like, "hold on a minute, I need to get my camera" and rushed off to capture the beauty on camera.

I don't know exactly what moved me so much. All I know is that time seems to fly around my house with all the craziness around me. Most days I engage in worry and wondering about how I measure up as a mom, if the kids are getting all they need, if I am doing the right things for my family and wether God is as central in my life as He should be. But at the moment I took this picture, I realized that my life will be over as quickly as it started. At one brief moment, I held my firstborn in my arms and now that firstborn will be moving out of the house in 3 short years. I now see my fifth born child, approaching one year of age, and realize he will be in that same position much faster than I ever realized. It kind of hurts...the speed of life. I am pained at the thought that one day I'll miss the smell of my baby's skin, the excitement of my daughters triumphs in high school, the sound of laughter by my little boys and the noise that I too often wish away. It's so important to make each moment matter and to give all the credit and glory to God for this generous gift of life.

I thank God for the reminder, and the stillness of this picture. I'll treasure that moment forever.

Love is....

having an uncle with "big guns".

Happy 8th Birthday Jack

It's hard to believe our little Jack is already 8!

From the moment we saw your squished up face we were in love. Dad selected your name after praying in St. Patrick's Cathedral and asking God for a healthy happy baby. We knew our prayers had been answered as we watched you grow from a sweet baby to a big 2ND grader and stellar big brother to two younger brothers behind you. You are our middle child; gentle and quiet. Stuck in-between some strong-willed siblings. Thank you Jack for being so gentle and easy-going. Your unassuming demeanor reminds us to be patient and kind with others, and your mischievous, sneaky side always reminds us that you are very much part of this big, loud and crazy family. God knew what he was doing when he sent you to live with us. He knew you would make us a happier family, a more loving family, a more complete family. Without you, we would never have known how to love as deeply as we do now. Thanks Jack-e-boo...we love you.

Ouch!

Rebecca and I slipped out to the mall the other day to get her fitted for a dress. She will be a maid for a friend's quinceanera in November. Afterwards, Becca requested some new clothes for the new school year, and seeing all the Labor Day sales, I was happy to spend some girl time at the mall.

Rebecca instantly found some Levi jeans on sale. She rushed into the dressing room and came out looking sleek and slim in her 550's.

Me: Oh, man Becca! You look so good in those jeans! I remember when I was that thin....before 5 babies!

Becca: (laughing) Oh, mom. Don't worry about the extra weight. The old you is in there...... somewhere.

How much is that baby in the window?

Jack and Gus were the first to head back to school last week. As usual, I snapped the annual "back to school" picture where the boys held up their fingers to show what grade they were going into. Jack and Gus moaned and groaned at the reality of school starting, but as you can see, there was at least one other family member saddened at the sight of his brothers heading back to school. Oh Henry!

A challenge for you

Find the big difference between these pictures:





























The kids in front of the Immaculate Conception Shrine on the campus of Catholic University. We attended Mass inside the Shrine before this picture was taken, and yes, Gus DID wear those lovely flip flops.

The best hotel in D.C.

On our recent trip to Washington D.C., we stayed in a hotel which gave us a lovely view of the Washington Monument. We ended up buying two rooms so that we could fit comfortably. The free amenities of this hotel were beyond compare so we recommend the place highly:


The dance club played all our favorite songs. We danced the night away.





The maid was exceptionally efficient, and kept the place impeccably clean.







We had the finest transportation; our very own metro to and from the hotel.







And CABLE TEEEE VEEEEEE! Entertainment for boys unaccustomed to so many channels. Who NEEDS a hypnotist!

Kid thought of the day

Jack: Mom, (as he chews his apple thoughtfully) vegetarians are hippies.

107 Degrees....it's HOT!

This is how we beat the heat!

Plan B

My 11 year old son Nick will be entering Middle School in the next few weeks. He's been growing so tall and changing so much that I can now see glimpses of what he will look like as a full grown man and it just blows me away. Where did my first born baby boy go?

Anyway, I was having one of those "in the car" conversations with him, asking various questions about the future, how he felt about going into Middle School etc. And at this tender age, my son still talks to me and tells me about his dreams, thoughts and feelings. One sure thing about Nick is that he loves to talk...in circles he goes...on and on about a small detail...so when I asked him the following question, he did not hesitate:

Me: Nick. So what do you want to be when you grow up?

Nick: (quickly) A race car driver.

Me: (trying not to shatter his dream) Well, you know, Nick. We all have dreams to become something really exciting and different, (I've always dreamed to be a Bet Midler type entertainer, dressed in a glitzy red gown, laying gracefully on a baby grand and singing my guts out to a sold out crowd....could still happen...you never know! Bah, ha!) And it's good to pursue those dreams, but it's always a good idea to have a back-up plan of what you want to be in case your dream of becoming a race-car diver does not happen.

Nick: Oh, yeah, well that makes sense.

Me: OK, so, what's your backup plan? What do you want to be if you can't be a race-car driver?

Nick: (quickly) An actor.

What little boys are made of..

Snakes and snails and puppy dog tails?






Hmmm. Mine must be defective because he is
obviously made of Cheerios.

Tour of duty

WWII Memorial in Washington D.C.


We just got home from a short trip to our nation's capital. As part of our sightseeing tour, we viewed some of our country's finest monuments. One of the most beautiful memorials was the WWII Memorial recently completed in 2004. As the kids ran around the fountains and pillars of marble, I sat and thought about the 400,000 men and women who lost their lives in this massive war so that I could sit and watch my children grow up in a place where they could pursue life, liberty and happiness. These soldiers and paid the ultimate price for me, a stranger. I was moved. I was grateful.



The kids in front of the North Carolina pillar at the WWII Memorial.

Later on the next day, we moved on to the
Arlington National Cemetery where we viewed Kennedy's grave, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the changing of the guard. We passed thousands upon thousands of headstones of people who fought and died in the Civil War through to today's Iraq war. I thought about the many mothers and the millions of tears shed. I thought about the wives and the fatherless children. I thought about many things as viewed the rolling hills of white. After a hefty walk in the heat, I sat on one of the benches in the shade next to a war veteran of about 80 or so years. He was just sitting there. Quiet. All by himself, staring out into the hill. He looked pensive, sad, and not really open to talking. So we just sat there quietly together. I wanted to turn to him and ask him so many questions about his life, his service, what he saw, what he thinks of people today, if it was worth it, would he do it all over again? What he would want my children to know? I wanted so badly to thank him for all his generation did for mine, and I wanted to apologize for the shortcomings of my generation. He did not speak, and I did not ask.



Jack and Gus stand at attention and silence during the changing of the guard at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier-Arlington National Cemetery

I wonder if the veterans of WWII and the other wars shake their heads at my generation when they hear that we now have the freedom to kill a million babies a year as part of a freedom of choice. The freedom to sit in front of a talking box hour after hour watching violence, s*x, foul language, and crude humor as part of our freedom. I wonder if they throw their hands up at us when they see the millions of broken homes due to drugs, alcohol, pornography, and lives engulfed in materialism. I wonder if they want to turn their backs to us with tears in their eyes when we criticize the military, burn the flag, and throw out the Pledge. Are they disgusted when kids kill each other for the latest video game system or for the best I-gadget? The list goes on and on. Is this what they fought for? I think not. I feel my generation is missing out on how to live with honor, respect and dignity. We don't know how and don't seem to care about finding out. We're spoiled. We've been given way too much and did not have to work very hard to get any of it. Spoiled.

So I felt really sheepish when I looked at all the self-sacrifice before me and concluded that the best way to honor the men/women who fought so valiantly for me and for future generations is to live a life of honor and respect. To raise children who are aware of how BLESSED they are to have been born American. To teach my kids to respect authority, honor those who deserve it, remember the times of difficulty and appreciate the important gift of life. To live a life in the positive mode, and not wallow in negativity or darkness. Most importantly, to never ever blame others for any lack of success...but to hold themselves accountable for mistakes made...to learn from them and to move forward.

I think that veteran would have told me that.

The tooth bully

Gus: (excitedly) Mom! My tooth came out!

Me: Oh! How exciting!

Gus: Yeah! All Jack had to do was punch me in the mouth and my tooth came out!

Hair Days of Summer

The days of summer are long and so is the hair on top of the heads of my boys....but not for too much longer!


For some, hair cutting is still a chore.

Becca taunts her brother.

Becca: Gus, could you change shirts, because that one looks a little fruity.

Gus: What??! Huh? I don't see any fruits on it!

Becca is back....

and the family rejoices...although she has more facial hair than we remembered. Hmmm.

Cool Word Art

Fun Catholic Stuff

Here is a great u-tube video-podcast by the Rosary Army that encourages living the Gospel in ordinary ways. It's called,
"That Catholic Show". Check out the website for more educational videos (excellent for short attention spans! Eh Hem...not wanting to name any names here). If you liked this video, you'll love the podcast that you can subscribe to for free. Oh and while you are at it, add the Rosary Army podcast to your i-pod as well. Great to listen to while you are working out at the gym or running errands around town. To share all my podcasts with my five kids while in the car, I purchased a great little
i-pod cassette adaptor that I pop in the tape player. Very inexpensive, yet extremely functional! Everyone can listen to the i-pod in the car with that little beauty!

Gus just being Gus

As we sat down to dinner, Gus wondered out loud,"Hey, don't I get something for being the funniest person in the family?"

Me and the boys

Summer is rip roaring along these days. Rebecca has gone off to her yearly Band Camp experience for a week which has left me with a houseful of testosterone driven boys. Gone for a week are the girl type behaviors of Rebecca and I slipping out for a quick pedicure or for trip to Southern Season for some jelly bean candy or gourmet chocolate. I have no one to eagerly volunteer for a late night trip to the gym or for a walk in the neighborhood. Nope. Boys are different. Instead I have learned some valuable skills from my boys this week. Skills that may impress my neighbors and colleagues one day.

Gus proudly demonstrated the furious "popping" sound of bubble wrap while sitting on it, "MOM, doesn't that sound like a fart?"

Nicholas demonstrated how one can entertain neighbors outdoors while squeezing his lips between the door and the door jamb while singing a song.

Jack's high pitched whine can help clean out any china cabinet.

and Henry, well he's still a baby, but he is a very useful alarm clock if any of you would like to borrow him. He'll get you up at any hour of the night and test your patience while he sneaks up the stairs determined to find his brothers.

All these talents and more await an unsuspecting future wife, but for now they are for me to enjoy. I'm blessed with a herd of boys whose enthusiasm and joy for life goes unmatched; but for my great love for each of them. It's been a wonderful week with just me and the boys, but I do believe it's time for a pedicure.

Laugh of the day...

A new priest, born and raised in Texas , is nervous about hearing confessions, so he asks the older priest to sit in on his sessions.

The new priest hears a couple of confessions, then the old priest asks him to step out of the confessional for a few suggestions. The old priest suggests, "Cross your arms over your chest, and rub your chin with one hand, and try saying things like 'yes, I see,' and 'yes, go on,' and, 'I understand.'"

The new priest crosses his arms, rubs his chin with one hand and repeats all the suggested remarks to the old priest.

The old priest says, "Now, don't you think that's a little better than slapping your knee and saying, "No shit...what happened next?"

HT: Teresa P.

Cousins

At the sight of Henry's large hulking size, Uncle Geoffrey exclaimed, "Henry, please don't eat my baby!"

You have got to love his thighs and little Mary's daintiness.

Poor blogging, great summer!

Now I know I have been a poor blogger of late, but who can really blame me with five kids at home for summer break, a great vacation to Myrtle beach with the Clemens family, vacation bible camp, and summer projects galore! We are making memories here at four crying out loud as quickly as we can, but have little extra time for details! Please settle for a picture bonanza of moments of grace and love! Oh, and happy 70th birthday to a gal who raised my handsome and ever-lovable husband, Chris!


Uncle Jon and Chris surrounded by grandbabies!! You can't misplace a grandchild or adult in our specially designed neon-orange t-shirts!!



The whole Clemens clan for a group shot. Wide angle anyone?


Jack and Gus: The boys of summer....and their castle!


No. They are not waving for help from the lifeguard....they are waving at ME!


Becca and best friend Lizzie at the water park!

Grandma Dot and Grandpa Pat at Dot's birthday celebration! Medieval Times no less!

Speaking of joy...

King Henry V, in his favorite chair...always wanting to EAT!

New Blogroll

Finally! I've added a wonderful blogroll of strong Catholic Women Online for you all to peruse and visit at your leisure. Just look to the right of my posts and look below the

Catholic Mothers Online

sign. There you will find a grand array of blogs to enjoy. You will, not doubt, find many of these women going through the same trials, tribulations, joys and successes as you. Have fun and enjoy! I have!

VBS Sonforce Kids Secret Agents!

There is nothing like the sheer joy and excitement of a well-done vacation bible camp experience for kids. Most of my kids attended this year (all except King Henry)in some capacity and all learned about Jesus in a interactive, and fun way. I was more than impressed when my son Nick, quoted from scripture, when Gus was caught singing the songs from the music class, and when Jack confessed that he could not wait to see what was going to happen next during the drama act that was performed each morning.

It's pure joy and sincere acceptance of what is taught with little questioning or doubt. That is what is so great about being a kid. Jesus is not so far away; kids understand very easily that Jesus is real and living among us. It's not until we grow into young adults and are taught to doubt and question that we start to slip, wander, and wonder why we ever believed in the first place. The joy goes away for some reason.

For now though, I'm enjoying the fact that my little ones know Jesus...probably better than I do, and believe what He teaches from their very core. Vacation bible camps reinforce what is already ingrained in their souls. The love of Jesus for them and their innocent love of Him. Are there vacation bible camps for adults? If so, sign me up!

Happy Birthday Nicholas

To my first born son I wish a very happy 11th birthday. Here is to your charm, faith, personality, humor, dancing ability, and smile. God surely knew what He was doing when He sent you to us on that beautiful June day in Iowa. May we always know how much He loves us by how much you make us feel blessed! Happy Birthday Nick! You totally rock, dude!

Never judge a book by its cover.

At first Gus was skeptical. He looked at the dinner set before him and scowled at the array of ground beef, veggies and pasta mixed together on his plate. Knowing full well that groaning at the food would get him promptly sent to his room without dinner, Gus picked up his fork and took a small bite of the mass in front of him. His scowl quickly turned into surprise as he explained to his brother, Jack:

Jack! It looks really nasty, but it tastes really good.

Try the recipe yourself and be pleasantly surprised like Gus. Oh, but it does look pretty gross.

Meet the parents

There are moments when everything you have scheduled for the week just cumlinates in one big blob where you either sink or swim. The last week of school can be a challenge with all the parties, graduations, teacher gifts, thank yous, snacks, goodies, mix all that up with your son's 11th birthday party and it makes one want to cower in a corner and just cry. But its amazing at what happens when you have an extra pair of hands, or mouth (as the case may be) which totally turns a crisis situation into something enjoyable and pleasant. Those extra hands were the hands of my parents who have been visiting from Texas.

Their life is much different than mine. They have quiet mornings with coffee on their front porch; I have five children begging for breakfast and backpacks. They have a slow walk; mine is fast with a purpose. They have a smile and a kind word for all they meet here in North Carolina; I have a rushed "hello" and a pathetic "How have you been?" as I walk away moving toward the next thing. They have a schedule; I have, well, scheduled chaos. But it is all so much more pleasant when they are around. They don't intrude or question my behavior. They mostly lend a listening ear and an encouraging word...and the best part is when they say, "You look like you need a nap. We'll watch the baby." They've done what I have done. They have walked in these worn shoes and smile knowingly. I know it must be hard for them to enter my home of craziness...pulled from the quiet of their world, but their presence gives me confidence that I can "swim" on the crazy days and sink when I need to. They quietly remind me that I am allowed to sink every now and then...it feels good NOT to get those brownies baked for graduation, or wrap that gift in time for the birthday party. They remind me that what is important is to make TIME for others, for family, for good food and drink, for stories, for games, for a slow walk in the neighborhood, for a kind message to a friend or child, for love and being loved.

My blessings are many in this life and my parents presence is surely one of the best!

frustration

Me: Gus! You need to sit with BOTH cheeks on the kitchen chair!

Gus looks up at me, smiles a devious smile, and promply puts his FACE on the seat of chair.

Me: Gus, those are NOT the cheeks I was talking about!

Gus: But you said to put both cheeks on the chair. I'm just doing as I'm told.

Laugh of the day...

A mother took her five-year-old son with her to the bank on a busy lunchtime.

They got behind a very fat woman wearing a business suit complete with
pager. As they waited patiently, the little boy said loudly, "Gee, she's fat!"

The mother bent down and whispered in the little boys' ear to be quiet.

A couple of minutes passed by and the little boy spread his hands as far as they
would go and announced; "I'll bet her butt is this wide!"

The fat woman turns around and glares at the little boy. The mother gave him a good
telling off, and told him to be quiet.

After a brief lull, the large woman reached the front of the line.
Just then her pager begins to emit a beep, beep, beep.


The little boy yells out, "Run for your life, she's backing up!"

HT: Uncle Gus

Firsts.

Happy Birthday to the church and God's blessings to the many men and women in our armed forces.

There were many first during the three day weekend!

1. Henry had his first experience in a olympic sized pool and loved it.
2. Jack plunged (feet first) off the 20 foot diving board.
3. Gus took his first real strokes as a serious swimmer.

But the most amazing "first" of the day was having Henry sleep in a full size crib for the first time in his eight months here on this planet. Up to this point, he's been sleeping in a port-a-crib which is small in comparison. As Henry grew, the space in the port-a-crib became smaller and smaller. It became more and more evident as time wore on, that the "big baby" crib would have to come out and the other placed in storage. Bringing up the old crib, which held my other four babies, was a sight to behold. It was dusty, broken, old food crusted in the cracks, and faded. I never imagined at the time of storage, busy with four children under the age of 8, that I would even think of ever having another baby. I thought we should simply keep it in case we had company or for another family in need. Never did I dream that my family would be the family in need. And I'm so thankful that I am.

Sweet dreams, Henry. A long history of love has lived in that crib. May you always sleep peacefully.

Quote of the day.

I have many times been driven to my knees by the utter conviction that I had nowhere else to go.

Abraham Lincoln

Henry is 8 months old!

I can crawl
I can feed myself Cheerios
I can babble
I can sit up


Time flies when you are having FUN!

Youth Convention

My daughter Rebecca and I are off to our annual Diocesan Youth Covention in Greenville, NC. The theme of the weekend is "Ascention Convention: Live, Laugh, Love". I'll be doing two talks for the youth on the topic of marriage....a good friend, Fr. Scott McCue will be speaking with me. Please pray that the over 1000 young people in attendance will sincerely learn how to Live a life with Christ, Laugh at the devil, and Love with the strength and power that Jesus loves us. See you all on Sunday!

These girls are radical!

You want to be radical? Different? Stand out in a crowd? Go Countercultural?

Good.

Put away your green hair dye, your emo-look, and your goth like persona and be really radical.


Nuns are back!!

HT:Danielle Bean

Fridge Art: By Jack

I knew it was going to be one of those days...

My husband: You can't put that on the blog.

Me: Oh, yes I can. It's real life!

Here's the story he preferred me to keep a secret:

Today I experienced a "first" in the world of childrearing. You would think something like this had happened to me before. Considering the fact that I have five children and considering the fact that I have experienced many gross incidences of diaper changes, this one took the cake.

As I changed Henry this morning, bleary eyed and tired, I discovered that not only had he "tinkled" a huge amount, but he had also inserted a large "package" of poop as well. Barely able to see what I was doing in the early morning dawn, I wiped up his massive mess and removed his diaper. I stumbled across the bedroom floor to get him a change of clothes and a new diaper but did not notice that Henry's "used up" diaper had fallen to the floor. Unbound, open and well, very stinky. As I walked back to where Henry lay, I felt something warm and gushy on my foot...(ewh, ewh ewh...yes, you all guessed right) It was, in all its glory...Henry's poo poo. In a large green mass on the arch of my foot.(This may be too much for the reader with the weak stomach, but I just had to share this perilous moment of motherhood.) Totally awake at the realization that I had indeed stepped in something totally nasty, I just stood there, foot raised high, yelling, " Oh please, NO! This is nasty, nasty, nasty!!" Problem was, the baby wipes were on the other side of the room since I had just run out of wipes cleaning up Mr. Gross! So I hopped to the wipes and hurriedly cleaned up my foot.

I was totally disgusted. Henry was totally delighted with the entertainment.

The rest of the day did not go much better....but that's a posting for another day. Still, looking on the bright side of things...it was much better than stepping in dog poo poo. Not that I've ever done that.

A bit much?

I'm all for joyful praise and all, but I do believe this is going overboard. Sheesh!

Can someone please help me find.....

Henry's neck?




Photo Credit: Rebecca Clemens

A voice of reason in the wilderness

"Selfishness and fear are at the root of (pro-abortion) legislation," he said. "We in the Church have a great struggle to defend life...life is a gift not a threat."--Pope Benedict

"The Church says life is beautiful, it is not something to doubt but it is a gift even when it is lived in difficult circumstances. It is always a gift."--Pope Benedict

Read the whole article here.

Welcome Home Dr. Beckwith

“If you're going to do a thing, you should do it thoroughly. If you're going to be a Christian, you may as well be a Catholic.”

---- Muriel Spark

Dr. Francis Beckwith, president of the Evangelical Theological Society and professor at Baylor University in Waco, Texas has just converted back into the Catholic Church. You can read about his journey here and read some of the uncharitable remarks from our Protestant brothers and sisters regarding his move back to Rome. This brave man needs prayers from the entire Christian community, but could use some words of encouragement from those of us who are Catholic. Welcome this man and let him know that we are glad that he has come home. Visit his blog by clicking below:

Dr. Francis Beckwith

HT:
Edmund C.

Corporal Works of Mercy

One benefit of having a larger family is having enough siblings to practice the Corporal Works of Mercy. It is physically impossible for me to take care of every child's need at all times, so it may be necessary for a sibling to take over. Here, Jack helps with feeding his baby brother. Feeding the hungry as we are all called to do. Even the very young can help with that.

The Month of Mary

Be sure to pray the Rosary this month.

Hail Mary, Full of Grace
The Lord is with thee
Blessed art thou amongst women
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus
Holy Mary Mother of God
Pray for us sinners, now an at the hour of
our death.

Amen

and for fun....we cannot forget this famous classic

Spring Spruce Up

There comes a time in the life of a parent when something truly amazing happens. Something glorious. Something indescribable. Something more incredible than even a child's first words:

It's when your children are old enough to participate in "grown up jobs" like WEEDING, SPREADING MULCH, MOWING, AND PLANTING! And what used to take you days to complete is done in a mere four hours! Bad part is.... they still whine. It's OK though, they'll grow out of that later!



The weeding.

The mulching

And I even got paid to do it!!

Here is a short article of what I did last weekend (I'm in the picture on the right with my head down), in addition to:

1. Attended the play at Rebecca's High School, RagTime...quite a masterpiece!
2. Put the finishing touches on a talk on prayer (after midnight, of course)
3. Created an end of year slide show for youth ministry (after midnight, of course)
4. Fed, clothed, and cared for five children intermittently with the understanding help of my wonderful partner in crime
5. Spoke to 5th graders about continuing their faith development into middle school
6. Graduated 8th graders to high school confirmation
7. Recognized our sunday school volunteers for all their hard work during the faith development year
8. Organized an end of year ice cream social
9. Filled over 30 gift bags with prayer boxes and "100 Grand" chocolate bars as gifts for catechists
10. Enjoyed saying "see you in the Fall" to the over 200 youth and adults who participated in youth ministry events this year.

And guess what? I'm officially off for the next few months (unofficially I still have loose ends to tie up)but the best part is that I get my Sunday nights back to be with my wonderful family until September. Thanks be to God for a wonderful faith development year and for giving me more blessings than I could have ever imagined.

What was that again?

I was upstairs getting dressed this morning when I heard Gus yelling at Jack for not listening to his pleas for attention:

Gus: (impatiently) Jack, did you put your ears on this morning?